Page 90 of Revv

“He gets that from you.” She scratches under his chin, and Guac immediately leans into her hand like the shameless little suck-up he is. “I’ll stop by to check on you, mi amor. Maybe I’ll even bring you a little snack.”

His purr gets louder.

“Wow.” I stare at both of them. “Betrayed in my own house.”

Mom laughs and picks up Mateo’s container. “I need to go before I’m late.” She hugs me tightly, one arm around my shoulders and the other careful not to crush Guac between us.

“Te amo,” she says against my hair.

“Te amo también.”

She hugs Bex next, reminds both of us to eat, then leaves before I can tell her again that she made too much food.

I close the door and stand there for a second, Guac warm in my arms, watching through the window as she climbs into her car. Her headlights sweep across the front of the house before she backs out and heads toward Mateo’s place.

Bex comes up beside me, already chewing.

I look down at her hand. “Did you seriously steal an empanada the second I turned around?”

“She said we should eat.” Bex takes another bite like that settles it, then makes a happy little noise. “God, this is so good.”

“You say that every time my mom feeds you.”

“Because your mom is literally the best cook. Also, I’m pretty sure she loves me more.”

“She does not.”

“She gave me the bigger hug.”

“That’s because she knows you’re emotionally fragile.”

Bex presses a hand to her chest like I just wounded her. “Wow. After everything we’ve been through.”

She takes one last bite, then wanders back toward my bedroom like she pays rent here while I start putting the food away. I leave two breakfast burritos and a container of pastries out for tomorrow, even though Revel already said he’s bringing breakfast.

I catch myself smiling at the thought and immediately flatten my mouth.

Absolutely not.

By the time I get back to the bedroom, Bex is sitting cross-legged in the middle of my bed with Guacamole curled in her lap, both of them looking far too comfortable for people who have contributed absolutely nothing to the packing process.

Bex smiles like she knows better, then glances toward the equipment cases by the door. “You nervous?”

“For the set?”

“For all of it.” Bex scratches under Guac’s chin, watching me a little too closely. “I mean, you and Revel trapped in a car together for four hours, then spending the whole weekend in Miami basically alone.”

“We won’t be alone. There’ll be thousands of people at the festival.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

I look up from the shirt in my hands. “Ay, what is that face?”

“What face?”

“That little nosy-ass face you make when you think you’ve figured something out.”

“I don’t know anything.” She scratches Guac’s chest while he sprawls farther across her legs. “I’m just curious why Revel St. Clair is driving four hours to Miami to carry speakers when you supposedly can’t stand him.”